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Technology, climate change, demographic and societal shifts: there are few times in human history where so many major changes are colliding.

The built environment is often right at the center of it all. How buildings are designed, and where they are located, now need to factor in climate change. The ways people work – especially in the age of Artificial Intelligence – are reshaping how buildings are used. New technologies – from robotics to 3D printing – are poised to upend how spaces are built and maintained.

The way people live and work has seen dramatic upheaval in recent years. It’s not over, and it will continue to influence the real estate industry. 

Imagine a world where employees in the majority of industries have a greater say regarding when and where they work. AI and advances in robotics impact the type and amount of work that people do. New technologies support increased recreation time, a gamechanger for cities, especially as life expectancy rises. 

Companies and governments will have to put a growing emphasis on social impact, which will be set to play a much bigger role on real estate strategies. We’ll see this playing out in new hybrid workspaces acting as multi-functional, mixed-use environments that incorporate wellness, hospitality, and entertainment. Partnerships between governments and the private sector will encourage more services and spaces that foster community engagement and address equitable access. Housing affordability will become more acute in major cities; the real estate industry will have a key role to play in solving it.

Key questions for investors/occupiers
 

• How will spaces need to be reconfigured to accommodate how AI and robotics will be incorporated into more of how we work and live?
  
• How will the new work-life-play expectations be accommodated? 
• How can real estate “give back to society”, as will increasingly be expected? 
• How might the built environment help drive social cohesion?
• How will new government policies and regulatory requirements aimed at solving affordability, housing shortage, and building vacancy issues impact real estate? What could be the impact for occupational and investment strategies?

In the months ahead, we will explore these imperatives and other themes in a series of articles and podcasts. We are starting with deep dives on the climate and technology imperatives – see The Climate Inflection Point and Get set for the 5th Industrial Revolution. An examination of the impact of the future of work on real estate will follow, along with ongoing analysis of the impact of macroeconomic trends on the real estate industry.

In addition to publishing regular articles, JLL Future Vision will provide insights to clients through one-to-one conversations and future workshops. 

Explore more of JLL's latest insights on World Economic Forum themes at our dedicated Davos page.